School backpack: experts warn of problems due to its excessive weight

A few days from beginning of classes, families have in their hands the list of supplies that students must have for admission to school. And that includes the satchelwhich can become the most important element for most and guys there youth who are looking for attractive designs, beyond their properties.

But the backpack is in the eye of specialists, not because it is cool or hidden, but because of its design and the way it is used, since the ballast which generates the excessive load may harm students who need to take it to and from school.

Children and teens still need to bring books, notebooks, pencil cases, dictionaries, and folders, among other things to attend Classes each day. And often we don’t realize the weight that all that stuff puts on them, which can cause back problems for those who are heavier. The truth is that excess weight in backpacks is a serious problem because bones at this age are growing.

According to various scientific publications, the weight of the backpack should not exceed 10% of the child’s body weight to be safe, as long as it is distributed between the two shoulders, by accepting a maximum of 15% in some countries. And it should be even less than 10% of body weight, if carried on one shoulder, although this is not an adequate way to carry the load. There are reports around the world that the safe weight is exceeded by a large number of school children,” recommend experts from the Argentine Pediatric Society (SAP).

“Checking what is carried in the backpack must be part of daily family care and the elements requested by educators, the essentials. Exceeding the “safe” weight predisposes children and adolescents to lean forward, backward or sideways, bend the knees or shorten the step, as needed to load the backpack, making walking more inefficient and inefficient. This will lead to muscle shortening (or lengthening) and put students at risk of back pain,” they added.

And they concluded: “Childhood and adolescence are fundamental stages for spinal growth vertebral and the rest of the musculo-articular structures associated with the body axis. And it is crucial that this growth is done correctly to avoid disorders that can impact the present of children and adolescents and the quality of life of the adults they will become. Growth spurts, insufficient physical activity and poor postural hygiene habits cause most adolescents to suffer from back pain. And there are reports of injuries in children and adolescents referred to excessive or inadequate loading of the school backpack.

The doctor Ricardo Caldara, from the department of orthopedics and traumatology of the German hospital specified that as a first recommendation it is essential that the size of the backpack is adapted to the age and size of the children, because if you buy a large one hoping it serves you for many years, what can be achieved is that the weight harms the lower back, which is much more sensitive than the dorsal region. “The ideal backpack is one that rests and adapts to the curve formed by the dorsal vertebrae, that is, one that ends about five centimeters above the waist. The load that the child can bear on his back must not exceed the equivalent of 10 or 15% of his weight, although it must be taken into account that this may vary according to constitution, age and condition. physical of each”, he specified. . .

And he warned that “excess weight in backpacks is a serious problem because the spine is still immature and the bones are developing. Despite the fact that some experts affirm that the child’s health is not affected by the improper use of the school backpack, we advise to take this aspect into account, since preventing and adapting the load will always be beneficial for taking care of the child regardless of whether the consequences materialize or not. A useful recommendation to prevent future pain is to play sports or perform exercises to strengthen the back muscles.

“Excessive load on the back can condition posture. Boys carry a lot of weight these days and it is advisable to reduce it and reduce the time they carry that weight on their shoulders,” the doctor said. Andres Ferrero del Programa de Escoliosis del Hospital de Clínicas y destacó que “en caso de llevar la mochila al hombro, lo que se recomenda es que el peso no supere el 10 a 15% del corporal peso, de acuerdo a la edad, constitución y estado físico of each one”.

When buying one, we must ensure that they have wide shoulder straps and that these and the back are padded.

When buying a backpack, you should ensure the following:

-Whether it has shoulder straps or adjustable, wide and padded shoulder straps.

-That it has a belt that helps to fix the backpack at waist height, in order to distribute the weight between a greater number of muscle groups of the body.

-That the part resting against the backrest is padded. We recommend that you choose backpacks that hang over the shoulders rather than those that have a trolley, because with the latter the child only exerts effort with one side of the back.

“Misuse of the backpack can have serious health consequences, especially in the shoulders and back. That’s why you have to be very careful about the type of backpack you use, its load, the placement and posture of the child,” the chiropractor told this media. Marcelo Barroso (MN 9784).

“Use of backpacks in children is not recommended because generally speaking they tend to exceed the normal weight they should carry. According to body weight, it should not weigh more than 10% so that a developing structure can support it without damage. The chiropractor also pointed out that “these are structures that are in a phase of maturation, development, subjected to pressures and excessive weights which will undoubtedly have consequences, not only on walking but on posture in general, which will result in a detriment in the quality of life and in the health of the person”.

For him, “a correct way to use the backpack is to carry it on both shoulders”, although he admitted that “in general, one tends to lateralize and carry the weight of one side and it probably twists the spine.”

In this sense, an alternative suggested by the specialist is the use of Lockers in schools. “It would be the ideal tool for children to leave the heaviest books or supplies and take home only the homework book, for example”, he analyzes. Another option would be to describe the books and have them bring the units that will work.” Ferrero said along the same lines, for which “schools and institutions can collaborate, taking into account the type of material that the student uses during the year and having cupboards or shelves of different heights to store books, files, etc.”

Barroso considered that “the trolley is also not the solution because what is done is to lateralize the problem and a weight that must be carried on the back of the body is carried laterally with the trolley”. “The fact is that the weight is excessive and in the case of the cart, the laterality that is exerted is added to it because obviously it is carried on one side more than the other”, he said .

The SAP also approves of this. “If we now analyze the carts, which have the advantage of not carrying weight on the shoulders, we can emphasize that their transfer involves an asymmetrical load, which can have consequences on the upper limb that drives it. , especially when going up and down stairs. , as this asymmetry, combined with the greater dynamic forces needed to move up and down, could lead to excessive strain on the shoulder/arm complex and rotational spinal adaptations. Regardless of the weight being carried, carrying the cart with one hand will alter the normal swinging motions of the arms when walking and may increase the hip flexion required when walking.

1- The optimal time to wear the backpack is 15 minutes.

2- Use both straps, so as not to overload one of the shoulders. This evenly distributes the weight.

3- The ideal backpack is one that rests and adapts to the curve of the dorsal vertebrae and ends about 5 cm above the lower back, avoiding loading said area.

4- When you lift the backpack, like any other weight, you must do so by bending both knees.

5- It is important to carry in the backpack only what is necessary for each day.

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